Liste of equipement
DuCoS is an experimental civil engineering platform with equipment for studying the mechanical and hygrothermal behaviour and the durability of construction materials, in relation to their mix design and placement processes.
Four main “types” of equipment:
- Equipment for multi-scale characterisation of the durability of construction materials
- Multi-scale hygrothermal transfer in construction materials
- Study of hydration and microstructure
- Non-destructive testing: laboratory and in situ
The equipment listed below is complemented by controlled-environment chambers and presses of various capacities. In addition, a casting area with 7 mixers of different volumes allows the production of small specimens (4 × 4 × 16 cm prisms, Ø11 × 22 cm cylinders, etc.) as well as structural elements (beams, walls, etc.).
Equipment for Multi-Scale Characterisation of the Durability of Construction Materials
 Controlled carbonation chamber |
 Dynamic mechanical loading press + Transport–damage coupling cell |
 Salt spray cabinet with optional spray/drying cycles |
 Full-scale tidal simulation rig 2 tanks, 4 m long and 2 m high Instrumentation possible from a walkway |
 5 migration cells 3 natural diffusion cells |
 Permeability test bench with mass flow meters and cells of various diameters |
 Potentiometric titrator for chloride determination and pH measurement + Profile grinder for obtaining concrete powder |
 BioLogic potentiostat for corrosion potential and current measurement |
 Cellules électrochimiques en solution ou sur dalettes de matériaux en banc de marnage miniature |
Multi-Scale Hygrothermal Transfer in Construction Materials
 Experimental bench for surface thermal conductivity measurements |
 Hot Disk for local measurements of thermal conductivity and heat capacity |
 VSorp: 11 cells of 50 mm diameter or 23 cells of 33 mm diameter Sorption/desorption isotherms from 15 to 40 °C |
 Water vapour permeability measurement in a BINDER controlled climate chamber |
 Full-scale climate chamber able to reproduce real climatic conditions on a wall (2 × 2 m) instrumented with heat flux meters and hygrothermal sensors |
 Multiple core drilling systems for local measurements to assess the variability of properties after hygrothermal loading |
Study of Hydration and Microstructure
 Controlled carbonation chamber |
 Dynamic mechanical loading press + Transport–damage coupling cell |
 Isothermal microcalorimeter |
 TGA / DTG |
Evaluation non destructive : Laboratoire et In Situ
 Wenner resistivity meter |
 TORRENT Permeameter |
 GalvaPulse: corrosion potential and current measurement |
Location: Bâtiment 17, RDC et 1er étage, laboratoire GeM, Saint-Nazaire
Scientific lead: Stéphanie BONNET
Technical lead:Denis FOURNOL & Philippe LEROY
Contact: stephanie.bonnet@univ-nantes.f